ITINERARY:

Day 1: Hanoi – Lang Son – Cao Bang (L,D).

7:00 AM: you will be met up with Lotussia Travel team at your hotel in Hanoi (Please advise your hotel name). Depart for Lang Son.

You will arrive in Lang Son town after about three hour drive. Visit Tam Thanh and Nhi Thanh grottoes. Then have lunch in town. In the afternoon, continue your road trip to Cao Bang via That Khe and Dong Khe. Some more stops may be made en route for you to visit Nung and Tay villages. Arriving in Cao Bang town in the late afternoon. Check into a local guesthouse for dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Cao Bang – Ban Gioc waterfalls – Cao Bang (B,L,D).

Enjoy a scenic day trip north of Cao Bang to the beautiful Ban Gioc Waterfall on the Chinese border. This picturesque waterfall is 53 meters high and has an impressive span of 300 meters. The unique landscape includes limestone karst formations soaring from the verdant rice paddies of Tay, H’Mong and Dzao ethnic minority groups. The waterfall is more beautiful in summer time. Lunch will be served in a local restaurant near the waterfall. After lunch, we may have the opportunity to visit the Nguom Ngao Cavern before we driving back to our hotel in Cao Bang town. Spend the second night at hotel in Cao Bang.

Day 3: Cao Bang – Ba Be National Park. Boat trip. Homestay in village (B,L,D).

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Ba Be National Park. Upon arrival in Cho Ra Town, we will have lunch in local restaurant before taking a relaxing boat trip on the Nang River and entering the beautiful Ba Be Lake. We will cruise through the Puong Grottoe, a huge tunnel runs though mountain. The boat trip will take its end in Pac Ngoi, a village of Tay ethnic minority. Dinner and overnight in in stilt house.

Day 4: Hiking full day. Homestay in village (B,L,D).

A full day forest hike through primary forest to the remote H’mong village of Hin Dam. The going is tough through the forest but the views from the top of the top, the pristine forest flora, medicinal plants and the opportunity to visit a remote hill tribe settlement make it a rewarding experience. Total walking time of around 6 hours. Return to the village and spend the second night here.

Day 5: Ba Be National Park – Hanoi (B,L).

After breakfast we drive back to Hanoi. Lunch en route. Arrive in Hanoi in the afternoon. You will be dropped off at your hotel in Hanoi. End of Lotussia Travel service.

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Day 1: Hanoi – Ba Be National Park (L,D).

8:00: You will be met up at your hotel in Hanoi by Lotussia Travel guide, driver. Depart for Ba Be National park.

Leaving hotel, we will travel northwards along national road 3.

Stop in Thai Nguyen City after about 2 hours drive for visiting the Museum of Ethnology. The museum is a repository depicting the culture of ethnic groups living throughout the Vietnam.

After visiting the museum, we leave Thai Nguyen and continue the road ride to Cho Moi townlet. Stop for lunch break and then continue the road ride to Na Phac junction. Visit a local Dzao village before arriving hotel around late afternoon.

Dinner & overnight in a stilt house (homestay).

Day 2: Trekking Ba Be National Park (B,L,D).

After breakfast on the terrace of the house, we start the day of trekking at 8h00.

We fistly walk along the small river with beautiful view of rice field, then hike up on a mountain pass to Ban Dao, home of the Dao’s peoples. Visit a family then stop for picnic lunch prepared by the family where we stay in Babe.

In the afternoon, we take a diferent way to get back to the village.

Homestay in a local stilt house of Tay’s village.

Day 3: Boat trip on Ba Be lake. Travel to Cao Bang (B,L,D).

After breakfast,  we will take a short walk to the boat pier and then enjoy the whole morning mainly on boat for exploring the pure nature of Ba Be lake and national park with some highlights including visiting to Dau Dang Waterfall and Puong Cave.

Lunch will be provided in a local restaurant on spot (simple).

After lunch, continue our drive towards Cao Bang. It is possible to make some more stops en route to visit local hilltribe village before we reach Cao Bang town around late afternoon.

Check-in hotel.

Dinner in a local restaurant in town. Overnight in Cao Bang.

Day 4: Trekking through local hilltribe villages (B,L,D).

After breakfast, we will drive for some kilometers towards the Chinese border. We will trek for about 15km from Ta Lung to La village going through local hilltribe villages and rice fields.

Dinner and overnight in a local stilt house.

Day 5: Continue trekking (B,L,D).

In the morning we cross the valley on small paths up to Khau Lung pass, then descending to Bung village where people live mostly on agriculture.

Lunch will be provided in a local village of the Tay ethnic.

After lunch, we continue the trek through jungle, rice fields. We will arrive in Na Nieng village around late afternoon. The village is located in the middle of the valley surrounded by a mountain range.

Diner and overnight in a local stilt house.

Day 6: Continue trekking for some more hours and travel back Hanoi. End trip (B,L).

After breakfast, we say good bye to our hosts then leave the village at at 8 am.

We will trek up again to the point at ~500 m above the sea level. On the way down, we will visit another village before getting on our vehicle again at Dong Ke, Lang Son. Travel to That Khe for lunch then return to Hanoi.

Arrive Hanoi at about 18:00. End of Lotussia Travel service.

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Cao Bang is a northern mountainous province consisting of 13 districts and 1 town. It shares a 311-km-long borderline with China and has an area of 6,690.72 square kilometres. The Cao Bang province can only be reached by the road.

The best time for travelling to Cao Bang is the winter starting from October until April of the following year. During this period, the temperature is cool with little rain.

The Cao Bang province offers a wide selection of tours such as trekking tours, bicycle tours, motorcycle tours and sightseeing culture tours. Travelers are easily impressed by the wild beauty of the nature and the beautiful landscape of Cao Bang.

The most popular Cao Bang trekking tours are arranged in Quang Hoa district, in the eastern area of Cao Bang. Many guided trek tours are provided with departure from Hanoi. Only three days or four days are needed to do the trek. The trekkers will go through local Tay and Nung villages, walk on the foot of karst mountains, sleep in the local house and eat local food.

Other place is also well known for Cao Bang Trekking fan, this is the trekking trail which starts from Ta Lung, in the north-eastern area of Cao Bang. The trekker will trek from Ta Lung, through Dong Khe, That Khe to Lang Son province where the vehicle is ready for pick them up again for the journey back to Hanoi.

Cao Bang is also a province that is located on the frontier border where your safety is our prime concern. All the trekking tours to Cao Bang province should be arranged with English-speaking tour guide, local porter and cook. The tours should be limited at small size for not impacting badly in the environment.

For more information on Cao Bang trekking tours, visit http://lotusia.com/vietnam-tours/trekking-hiking-tours/ or http://www.hikingvietnam.com/

8:00: You will be met up with Lotussia Travel team at your hotel in Hanoi. Saddle up and make the break out of the city limits and the lowlands and plains of the Red River Delta. We pass through clusters of limestone as we head out north-east. Arrive in Lang Son in the early afternoon, make a visit to Dong Kinh Market – “the paradise of Chinese copy electronic products” and Tam Thanh Temple. Overnight in Nam Kinh Hotel.

Day 2: Lang Son – Cao Bang, ~150 km, ~7 hours, (B, L, D)

We strike directly north, skirting the border city of Lang Son then we join the legendary ‘Highway 4′ where the Viet Minh forces carried out numerous raids over uncountable passes in this remote border region. We follow the border all the way to Vietnam’s major city in the north-east: Cao Bang (literal translation: ‘High Plateau’). Overnight in Cao Bang.

Day 3: Cao Bang – Ba Be, ~160 km, ~5 hours, (B, L, D)

We move south-west from Cao Bang and breach several passes on route in an area hosting huge mountain scenery. The Cao Bac Pass offers breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. Descending the pass we see hillsides carpeted with apiaries, Vietnam’s most famous honey-producing areas. In the afternoon we arrive at Ba Be Lake in the heart of a National Park. Overnight with a family in a Tay minority stilt house on the shores of the lake.

Day 4: Ba Be – Bac Kan, ~90km, ~ 3hours (B, L, D)

Take a boat trip to visit the lake, swim then come back to the village for lunch. A small dirt road takes us out of National Park to Cho Don. Easy ride to Bac Kan. Overnight in Bac Kan Hotel.

Day 5: Bac Kan – Hanoi, 180km, ~7hours (B, L)

Staying off the main road for as long as possible we head back towards the Red River Delta, passing through areas inhabited by Hmong, Dao, Tay and Nung minority peoples. A mixture of both challenging track and glorious sealed road all the way back to Hanoi. End of Lotussia Travel service.

A government run hotel and this is the biggest hotel in town.

Passing a hill where there is the newly-built Ho Chi Minh Museum, visitors will see the historical area of Pac Bo. The main historical relics in this area consist of Pac Bo, Coc Bo, Bo Bam Cave, Lenin Stream, Karl Marx Mountain, Co Rac Ground and Khuoi Nam. The famous Coc Bo Cave is where President Ho Chi Minh established his residence and worked on Vietnam’s revolutionary course after returning from 30 years abroad.

Walking on the rocks along the side of the stream, where Uncle Ho used to work and fish, visitors reach a wooden bridge over Coc Bo rivulet where Lenin Stream starts. The water is clear, cool and so tranquil that one can see the fish and pebbles on its bed and the green watercress in the water. Beyond the bridge is the place where Uncle Ho often cooked soup with vegetable and bamboo shoots. By the side of a rugged rocky mountain is Pac Po Cave. Looking down into the cave from its mouth, you can see the words “February 8th, 1941″ written by Uncle Ho on the wall. That was the day he came to live in this small cave, a wet and cold place lying deep in a mountain gorge that nobody paid much attention to.

Inside the cave there is a wooden board as a bed for Uncle Ho. In this place, Uncle Ho, in the simple dress of the Nung ethnic group, often sat by the fire at night to talk with his assistant Pham Van Dong, Vo Nguyen Giap and Phung Chi Kien… about the situations at home and abroad. Here, Uncle Ho predicted: “In four or five years, the Vietnamese revolution will be successful.” His words became true. On September 2nd, 1945 the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the first State of workers and peasants in Asia, came into being. One night when staying in this cave, General Vo Nguyen Giap was advised by Uncle Ho: “Undertaking revolutionary activities requires “di cong vi thuong” which means, common benefits must be put above all”. His teachings were short, clear and precise as a truth, but to implement them were not easy.

About 1km from the mouth of Pac Bo Cave, there is a small shack by the side of Khuoi Nam Mountain. In this shack Uncle Ho held the eighth Party Central Committee Meeting, which promulgated a resolution on preparations for the armed insurrection and the establishment of the Viet Minh and the revolutionary war zone. Adjacent to the shack is milestone 108 marking the Vietnam-China border, where 59 years ago, Uncle Ho bowed to kiss the beloved land of his country, after many years living abroad. At that time he was 50 years old with grey hair.

Visiting this historical area, visitors will learn more about the great life of President Ho Chi Minh which is part- reflected through his optimistic revolutionary verses.

Source: Vietnam Nation Administration of Tourism

8:00: You will be met up with Lotussia Travel at your hotel in Hanoi. Depart for Thai Nguyen. As you head out of Hanoi, over the Red River on the Chuong Duong bridge, the suburbs quickly give way to the sprawling farm lands of the Red River Delta. Travel north along High way 3 to Thai Nguyen for a stop to enjoy a lunch of traditional Vietnamese food. Worth a visit here is the Museum of the Cultures of Vietnam Ethnic Groups. Leaving the delta behind, you’ll start climbing into the mountainous area of Ba Be National Park. Take a short boat trip (30 minutes) to a Tay village for dinner and homestay at local house.

Day 2: Ba Be lakes – Cao Bang (B/L/D)

Ba Be National Park, surrounded by rugged limestone mountains, is Viet Nam’s only natural mountain lake. This important eco-system is best known for its over 330 species of butterflies! Have breakfast with your Tay hosts. The lush forest clinging to the surrounding mountains is your backdrop as you explore the lake. Reach the end of the lake and stop for a trek to Dau Dang waterfall. Meet your Jeep, head north through the lush mountain passes to the city of Cao Bang. Overnight at hotel.

Day 3: Ban Gioc Waterfall (B/L/D)

Jeep ride to Ban Gioc, visit the waterfall. On this day you’ll take a scenic insightful day trip north of Cao Bang to the beautiful Ban Gioc waterfall near the Chinese border. This picturesque, cascading waterfall is 53 meters high and has an impressive span of 300 meters. The drive there offers unique landscapes, limestone karst formations soar from the verdant rice paddies of the surrounding farms of local ethnic minorities. Along the way, you’ll see Tay, Hmong and Dzao ethnic minority groups. Heading back to Cao Bang, stop to explore the expansive 2, 144 meter Nguom Ngao Cavern to discover its brilliant stalactites. Return to Cao Bang and overnight at hotel.

Day 4: Cao Bang – Phuc Hoa – Dong Khe – That Khe (B/L/D)

Ta Lung national entrance –La village 15 km (04 hours). Drive from Cao Bang town to the Ta Lung national entrance 70 km, visit the national entrance. Have lunch there. Go on walking along the valley and lime stone mountain from Ta Lung to La village about 15 km. Dinner and overnight at the Tay’s stilt – house.

Day 5: La Village – Na Nieng Village (B/L/D)

After breakfast, continue walking and climb the lime stone mountain. Have lunch. Traveling along the lime stone to the Na Nieng village. Dinner and overnight at the Tay ‘s stilt – house.

Day 6: Na Nieng – Pac Khoang Village (B/L/D)

After breakfast, leave the Na Nieng village to Dong Khe town on walk 12km. Lunch in Dong Khe. Continue to the Pac Khoang village. Dinner and overnight at the Red Dao ‘s village.

Day 7: Pa Khoang – Na Pang (B/L/D)

After breakfast, trekking through lime stone valley, the small streams. Stop for lunch. Continue walking to Na Pang village, Trang Dinh district – Lang Son. Dinner and overnight at Tay’s stilt-house.

Day 8: Na Pang – That Khe – Hanoi (B)

After breakfast, trekking to That Khe town. Lunch in town then drive back Hanoi. End trip.

08.00: You will be met up with Lotussia Travel team at your hotel in Hanoi. Departure for the 3-hour drive to Lang Son City, visit the towns bustling market. The spectacular four-hour drive to Cao Bang weaves and twists through the mountains. See the heavily forested mountain ranges, lush fertile valleys and traditional minority villages. Arrive in Cao Bang in the late afternoon, spare time to stroll around the town. Overnight in your hotel in Cao Bang.

Day 2: Cao Bang – Ban Gioc Waterfalls – Cao Bang.

Departure for Ban Gioc Waterfall, along the way see perhaps some of the most beautiful scenery in Vietnam. Ban Gioc is one of the biggest and possibly the most impressive waterfalls in Vietnam, if you wish,take a swim in the cool emerald waters, see China on the other side of the riverbank and simply enjoy the pleasant surroundings. In the late afternoon return to Cao Bang town. Overnight in your hotel.

Day 3: Cao Bang – Pac Bo Cave – Ba Be lakes.

Journey north to the Chinese border and visit the former hideout of the late president Ho Chi Minh. See how he lived and worked for four years to mastermind the 1954 independence from French forces. Return to Cao Bang Town for lunch, following take a 4-hour drive to Ba Be Lakes National Park, arrive in the late afternoon, overnight in the Ba Be National Park in a simple guesthouse.

Day 4: Ba Be National park – Hanoi.

Wake up to the sounds of the forest. Following breakfast take a boat trip on Ba Be Lake. Visit Dau Dang Waterfall and Puong Cave (there is a market here each Saturday). After the boat trip drive back to Hanoi, if time permits stop at the Thai Nguyen Ethnic Minority Museum. Arrive back in the capital Hanoi in the evening. End of Lotussia Travel service.

7:30am: You will be met up with Lotussia Travel team at your hotel in Hanoi. Start for a drive through the Red River Delta north along Hwy 3 to Thai Nguyen. Of interest here is the Museum of the Cultures of Viet Nam’s Ethnic Groups. Leaving the delta behind, you’ll start climbing into the mountainous area of Ba Be National Park. Take a short boat trip (30 minutes) to a Tay village for dinner and home stay in a local house.

Day 2: Ba Be – Cao Bang.

Ba Be Lake, surrounded by rugged limestone mountains, is Viet Nam’s only natural mountain lake. This important eco-system is well known for over 330 species of butterflies! Have breakfast with your Tay hosts before exploring the lake with lush forest clinging to the surrounding mountains. Reach the end of the lake and trek to Dau Dang Waterfall before heading north through the mountains to the city of Cao Bang. Overnight in a hotel.

Day 3: Ban Gioc Waterfall.

Take a scenic day trip north of Cao Bang to the beautiful Ban Gioc Waterfall on the Chinese border for a picnic lunch. This picturesque, cascading waterfall is 53 meters high and has an impressive span of 300 meters. The unique landscape includes limestone karst formations soaring from the verdant rice paddies of Tay, H’Mong and Dzao ethnic minority groups. On the way back to Cao Bang, explore the expansive 2,144 meter Nguom Ngao Cavern to discover its brilliant stalactites. Overnight in the hotel in Cao Bang.

Day 4: Cao Bang – Lang Son – Ha Noi.

The famous Highway 4 winds its way through steep mountain passes with spectacular vistas! Lang Son, the capital of this mountainous area, is an important crossing and trading route with China. The area is home to Dzao, Man, Tho and Nung ethnic minority groups. Lang Son has two markets, the Old Market and the Dong Kinh Market, where shoppers can find everything from electronics and gadgets to textiles and house wares. Just a couple of kilometers from town are two large, beautiful caves and the ruins of the Mac Dynasty Citadel that are worth a visit, time permitting. Tam Thanh Cave contains a pond and offers great views of the surrounding farmlands. Nhi Thanh Cave, formed by the river that flows through it, has poems carved into the entrance by the man who discovered the cave in the 18th century. The late afternoon trip back to Hanoi from Lang Son is along a modern 4-lane divided highway. End of Lotussia Travel service.

You will be met up with Lotussia Travel guide at your hotel in Hanoi. Travel by road to the evergreen northwest. We will lunch in Mai Chau valley and spend an hour or so trekking through H’mong villages. From there we will continue to Moc Chau Plateau where we stay the night in a guest house.

Day 2: Moc Chau – Dien Bien Phu, Former French battle field.

We continue traveling through a very beautiful mountain region to reach  Dien Bien Phu basin, the battlefield at which the French finally surrendered to the Vietnamese nationalists.

Day 3: Dien Bien Phu – Paso.

You will learn more about the struggle for independence against the French by visiting military sites Dien Bien Phu  before leaving for Phong Tho.

Day 4: Paso – Sapa Hill Station.

We will take the long and windy road to the highest pass in Vietnam.  This is known as “doorway to the skies”. This is incredibly picturesque and will take your breath away.  We will arrive in Sapa and check in to our hotel.

Day 5: Sapa, full day trekking and home-stay

We will leave Sapa township by foot, trekking along buffalo tracks through terraced fields of breathtaking beauty. The hills are populated by many  distinct ethnic groups. This evening we will be hosted by a Ziay family.

Day 6: Sapa – Tuyen Quang- visit the Mac Citadel

We will say farewell to our hosts and walk another half hour to the nearest sealed road where our vehicle will be waiting. We proceed to Tuyen Quang, reaching it about 3pm.That will give us ample time to wander the streets and surrounds of the town. Overnight in hotel.

Day 7: Tuyen Quang – Ba Be Lake

We begin our migration towards the east, traveling first to Ba Be National Park near the centre. Where we will take a sampan to Pac Ngoi village of the Tay ethnic people where will stay overnight.

Day 8:  Ba Be Lake– Cao Bang – Ban Gioc Waterfall

Today we will travel to the Chinese border to visit the spectacular waterfall of Ban Gioc on the border between the two countries.

Day 9:  Cao Bang – Lang Son – Mau Son

Leaving Cao Bang, we travel eastwards crossing Dong Khe, a place very famous to Vietnamese because it is the site of a great Viet Minh victory over the French. We will take a short break in Lang Son town and visit some historical sites before climbing to Mau Son.

Day 10:  Lang Son – Ha Long Bay

Finally reaching the coast, we board a cruise boat to tour the magnificent limestone crags and crannies of Ha Long Bay. Arriving at the Bai Chay Wharf at around lunch time, we transfer to our deluxe junk, join our fantastic seafood lunch, and cruise around this tranquil bay, marvel at 3000 limestone peaks that emerge from the emerald water. We have opportunity to visit spectacular Amazing cave crammed with stalactites and stalagmites; and if the weather permits we will swim from our boat, and especially we can do kayaking to explore the hidden charm part of the bay before spending the night on the junk.

Day 11:  Halong Bay – Hanoi.

Another wonderful starts when the sun rises from the Horizon. We enjoy our breakfast at 07:30AM and try more kayak or sit on the bamboo boat to visit some other tunnel caves. Our junk keeps on cruising around the Bay and catch Bai Tu Long Bay with Turtle Islets, Man head islet, Teapot Islet and Bai Tho Mountain. Enjoy the last delicious lunch on the Bay, we say good bye with the World Natural Heritage and leaving for to Hanoi. End of Lotussia Travel service.

With a height of 53m and a width of 300m, the waterfall is divided into 3 layers consisting of small and large upper flows. Large water blocks fall into limestone steps, making a curtain of white sprays. From the distance, visitors can hear the roaring of waterfall echoing through a large area.

Rising from middle of the waterfall is a large water mound covered with trees, splitting the river into three spouts that look lie three white silk strips. At the foot of the waterfall is a large river that is calm as glass surrounded by many precious flowers. On hot summer days, it is still cool here. Every early morning, the sun shines through steam creating a sparkling rainbow.

Ban Gioc waterfall has gone into the plastic arts through excellent works of painting and photography. As a companion of the mountains, rivers and absorbing grottoes around it such as Nguom Ngao, Ban Gioc waterfall is and appealing site for tourists.

Passing a hill where there is the newly-built Ho Chi Minh Museum, visitors will see the historical area of Pac Bo. The main historical relics in this area consist of Pac Bo, Coc Bo, Bo Bam Cave, Lenin Stream, Karl Marx Mountain, Co Rac Ground and Khuoi Nam. The famous Coc Bo Cave is where President Ho Chi Minh established his residence and worked on Vietnam’s revolutionary course after returning from 30 years abroad.

Walking on the rocks along the side of the stream, where Uncle Ho used to work and fish, visitors reach a wooden bridge over Coc Bo rivulet where Lenin Stream starts. The water is clear, cool and so tranquil that one can see the fish and pebbles on its bed and the green watercress in the water. Beyond the bridge is the place where Uncle Ho often cooked soup with vegetable and bamboo shoots. By the side of a rugged rocky mountain is Pac Po Cave. Looking down into the cave from its mouth, you can see the words “February 8th, 1941″ written by Uncle Ho on the wall. That was the day he came to live in this small cave, a wet and cold place lying deep in a mountain gorge that nobody paid much attention to.

Inside the cave there is a wooden board as a bed for Uncle Ho. In this place, Uncle Ho, in the simple dress of the Nung ethnic group, often sat by the fire at night to talk with his assistant Pham Van Dong, Vo Nguyen Giap and Phung Chi Kien… about the situations at home and abroad. Here, Uncle Ho predicted: “In four or five years, the Vietnamese revolution will be successful.” His words became true. On September 2nd, 1945 the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the first State of workers and peasants in Asia, came into being. One night when staying in this cave, General Vo Nguyen Giap was advised by Uncle Ho: “Undertaking revolutionary activities requires “di cong vi thuong” which means, common benefits must be put above all”. His teachings were short, clear and precise as a truth, but to implement them were not easy.

About 1km from the mouth of Pac Bo Cave, there is a small shack by the side of Khuoi Nam Mountain. In this shack Uncle Ho held the eighth Party Central Committee Meeting, which promulgated a resolution on preparations for the armed insurrection and the establishment of the Viet Minh and the revolutionary war zone. Adjacent to the shack is milestone 108 marking the Vietnam-China border, where 59 years ago, Uncle Ho bowed to kiss the beloved land of his country, after many years living abroad. At that time he was 50 years old with grey hair.

Visiting this historical area, visitors will learn more about the great life of President Ho Chi Minh which is part- reflected through his optimistic revolutionary verses.